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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Differentiation of the SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line
Published on: February 17, 2016
Retinoic acid stimulates HIV-1 transcription in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells
J A Recio1, J Martínez de la Mata, J Martín-Nieto
1Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas 'Alberto Sols', Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Arturo Duperier 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Although the brain is an important target for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) and viral infection causes neuronal degeneration and dementia, the mechanisms responsible for HIV transcription in neuronal cells are largely unknown. We show here that retinoic acid (RA) stimulates HIV transcription in human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells. The steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1) enhances the transcriptional response to RA, and the viral protein Tat cooperates with RA and SRC-1 to induce a strong transactivation. These results suggest that retinoid receptors could play an important role as activators of viral gene expression in the human brain.
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